


April

by guavaklance



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Idiots in Love, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Musician Keith (Voltron), Musician Lance (Voltron), Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Unhappy Ending, Your lie in april - Freeform, im gonna add more tags later lol, klance, they deserve better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-09 22:39:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17413871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guavaklance/pseuds/guavaklance
Summary: “Everything you say and do...it all sparkles so brightly. It's too blinding for me, and I end up closing my eyes. But I can't help aspiring to be like you.“Your Lie in April AU in which Lance is a unique musician and Keith is a ex-musician trying to get away from the very thing that is following him around.





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone!! so basically if you haven’t already guessed, this is a your lie in april au (which if you don’t know is a beautiful anime that will tear your heart to pieces lol) 
> 
> so basically all i wanted to say is that thank you for reading this and following along and hear w me for updates bc i might be really busy in the upcoming month or so but i’ll try to update as much as possible. 
> 
> all of the characters in this (beside the voltron crew) are my original characters (whom i love SO MUCH) aclittle fun fact is that kim is based on the japanese name for ylia (kimiuso) and kyle (ky)’s name is based off the dub actor for watati (his name is kyle!) 
> 
> fun fact squared: i've done TONS of research in order to accurately write this story, and it takes place where ylia actually takes place. i've incorporated real life locations and tbh i think that's p cool 
> 
> anyways,, enjoy the story!!

It was in april when they met. 

The blossoming trees swayed in the wind, the soft sighs of air passing through the sky whispering quietly, the world seemed at a pause. 

Kim told Keith that she had a friend she wanted  
him to meet today, but the current weather forecast was telling him otherwise. The peacefulness of the trees gave him a need to sit down on a bench with a good book, but he’s not willing to pass up kim. Keith has known her for forever, and she'd assume something was up if he were to suddenly fleet. There was nothing absolutely wrong, so it makes no sense as to why he would want to skip. Though she is well aware of his preference to be left alone most of the time, she sometimes acts as a big sister and forces him out.

While she was asking him, her golden eyes sparkled with that emotion he could only pin as hope, and Keith couldn't say no at this point. 

Keith’s feet dragged on the concrete as he made his way through the small town they lived in. The Cherry Blossoms were falling from their trees, and he took a moment to take in their overwhelming beauty. The way the flowers looked so pretty was the reason April was Keith’s favorite month of the year. 

Every day of the year felt the exact same, dull. April felt different, maybe it was the wind blowing the opposite way, or the sweet smelling flowers lingering in the air, but April wasn't as dull. April has a different feeling to it, and he doesn’t know why. Keith’s not eager to figure that out though, assuming it would lead to something he didn’t care about. 

April wasn't like the other months, but was still pretty dull in his opinion. 

Following the directions Kim gave him, he made his way into the bright park. The way the sun shone while he made his way through the pathway seemed like a silent encouragement to not be afraid this time. 

Nerima was known for their beautiful landscape, and the tourist reviews Keith checked out online before moving here weren't incorrect. The town truly is a beautiful place, especially in April.

He came to a sudden halt when he saw a boy sitting cross legged on top of a play structure. near the bottom of the structure, two young kids were sitting there. They appeared to be in awe, and when Keith could finally hear he knew why. 

his curly brown hair was brushing around in the wind, and genuine smile was plastered on his lips. As he came closer, he heard the song he was playing. 'A Morning of the Slag Ravine', he knew he recognized the song, he had taught himself how to play this on piano not too far back. 

he looked so carefree, and that was something Keith envied. The way he was purely enjoying his music and gave off the effect nobody had to be listening for him to enjoy playing was something he admired. 

Keith had felt himself go forward, as to engage in conversation with him, but he couldn't help but be frozen, almost paralysed, in place. His music was captivating, even with such a simple song. 

The song was abruptly stopped, when the little girl sitting in front of him turned her head and looked at me with wide eyes. "Lance, there is a boy watching!" He slowly turned his head and began to face me. He didn't look peaceful anymore, and Keith would do anything to have a few minutes ago back. He slid down from the structure, still holding his violin and began storming towards me. "And what the HELL were you doing? were you stalking me?" He asked, his arms crossed. His violin was about to fall, as he lost his grip on it. Luckily Keith had fast reflexes and pounced forward, grabbed the violin before it smashed into pieces on the mulch below. 

He offered a small smile at the mystery boy bashfully. His eyes sparkled blue and  
i smiled back up at him, bashfully. His eyes sparkled blue, and he could feel himself getting lost in them, but he knew the boy wasn’t too happy with him right now so he chose to look away, not wanting to further irritate the boy. 

His arms were still crossed when he looked back at him. “So what are you doing here?” He asked carefully, taking a small step back. Keith hadn’t noticed how close the boy had gotten to him while he was getting scolded so he took the liberty of also taking a step back. As he opened i his mouth to answer to the mystery boy, he heard someone call loudly behind him. He turned quickly, looking at the familiar figure stood in front of him. Kim had always been known by her friends for having amazing timing. She had her dark brown hair locked in a tight ponytail, with her bangs splaying messily across her forehead. Her gold eyes sparkled with joy as she saw the two of us stood together. As she approached the two boys, Keith saw the other’s expression soften completely. “Kimmy!” He called happily, skipping over to her and captivating her in a bone crushing hug. “Oh Lance, I’ve missed you so much,” Kim cooed, looking at him before carding her hands in his soft looking hair. 

“Well let’s go, shall we?” Kim smiled, nodding her head towards Lance. “Wait up guys!” Kyle called from behind. His long, curly, auburn hair was pulled up too, but was messy in comparison to Kim’s. His amber eyes caught the lift slightly, showing all the different hues in them. Keith turned to find him sprinting towards the group, breathing heavily. “Yo, Kimmy, why’s you leave me?” Her laugh filled the air with its pleasant tone, adding to the calm atmosphere of the day. “Sorry Ky, I saw Lance and got excited, it’s been literally forever since I last saw him!” Kim exclaimed, leaning towards Lance again. 

Ky rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you didn’t need to exercise anyway,” Kim scoffed in reply to Ky’s sass. Kyle looked over to her and put a hand on his chest dramatically gaping. “Excuse me miss, I’m the star soccer player here, aren’t I?” He laughed jokingly. “And I’m the star softball player but you don’t see me bragging about that,” Kim shot back, getting more vicious by the second. “It’s not like you actually hit the ball into the field though,” Ky added, gesturing towards Keith who currently had broken glasses. 

It wasn’t a rare occasion when Kim’s home runs made it through the music room’s window and had accidentally knocked into Keith, but he always shrugged his shoulders and said it didn’t hurt that bad even though most of them left a ugly bruise. 

She scoffed as a response to Ky’s comment and turned back to Lance. “Okay, now let’s go,” Kim cheered, leading the way back down the path. The sidewalk in the park was surrounded by swaying trees and calm atmosphere and it made the walk as an outsider not feel as lonely. 

Lance followed immediately after Kim, walking with pep in every step, cautiously holding his violin. She led the group to their bikes and got onto hers. “So where are we going?” Keith asked cautiously, getting a surprised look at everyone else in the group due to be fact that he rarely speaks out. He knew that it wasn’t going to be somewhere he’d initially agree too, knowing Kim. “We’re going to watch Lance at the junior competition!” Ky answered, smiling dorkily. He got onto his bike too, running a hand through his messy bangs. “But how are all is going to get there safely?” Keith asked, anticipating the answer that he’d have to walk alone.

“This is not what I meant by all of us getting there safely!” he yelled into Kim’s shoulder as she peddled her bike through the light gray streets, Ky and Lance following suit. The wind was pushing by us and was going through Keith’s hair, messing it up more and making his indigo eyes water. He held onto Kim for three life of him, but he felt a sense of adventure and freedom, shoving the feeling of inevitable doom down and feeling genuine contentment; a feeling he never felt anymore. 

He looked beside him and Kim to find the other duo of riders Ky and Lance. Ky was intensely peddling his bike, trying to make it go as fast as humanely possible, and Lance was barely holding onto him. The anxiety Keith felt in his chest at the sight of this beautiful boy swelled up, but he looked so genuinely happy, and Keith knew he couldn’t ruin that. 

He was stood on the pegs of Ky’s shitty yellow bike, leaning his body into Ky’s back with both of his arms up in the air. His fingers were spread soft, almost like he was trying to grasp the air, and his violin was bouncing against his back. He was laughing hysterically, screaming and wooing at the ride, and Keith couldn’t help but start to enjoy himself more, knowing that adventures like this would entail listening to his melodic laugh. 

How can he go from wanting to kill me to his in under three minutes? The look on his face was pure happiness, and Keith longed to feel that again. He felt a little turn in his stomach when he saw how brightly he was shining next to him, but never as bright as his smile is. 

Life is a series of moment, and you love them all. Is that why you sparkle so much?


	2. The concert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance is performing in his first concert w the gang and keith is reminiscing about all the times he loved being there, except when he didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fjdhs i’m in a REALLY good mood today so hence why i’m uploading two chapters today (possibly more to come today?? idk??) i’m trying to post this story ASAP because i always hate waiting for new chapters of stuff so i’ll try my best uwu

As we got closer, Keith had begun to recognize the area. There were twice the Sakura trees leading up the Amphitheater than when he was last there, and he felt himself shake with fear as they approached the building. 

The community amphitheater was a place that Keith spent a lot of his childhood in, and Kim could tell how terrified he was while nervously shifting on the back of her bike. She reached one of her hands behind her and took his hand, squeezing tightly and stopped the bike. The leaves from the Sakura trees were falling peacefully, and just as he wistfully looked at the theater every time he passed it in the past. This time though, instead of taking a look and treading on, everyone in the group didn’t hesitate to go in except Keith. Kim turned around when she noticed he wasn’t following. “You’ll be fine Akira, please believe me,” she said, her arms holding onto his shoulders. Before he could process it, she was hugging him tightly but comfortably. Before she turned to the others she quickly kissed his cheek and they all went in the room. 

It was both terrifying and comforting that the concert hall didn’t look any different from when the last time Keith was here. Since this was a small sized town, as soon as he took a step in the building, it felt like everyone was watching him as he made his way towards the actual concert hall. 

“Is that Keith Kogane?” “Wow, he’s grown a lot.” “I wonder why he suddenly came back?” “He was so good all those years ago.” 

He heard the people whisper to each other and he wanted more than anything to talk to one of them telling them to shut it, but he held back the impulsive part of him telling him to shut people up. 

The feeling of everyone looking at Keith made him feel antsy, and Kim had to push him along further into the theatre because his legs weren’t working. She knew that he would not of gone if they hadn’t taken him, and he’s kind of glad that he’s here again. He really missed the atmosphere of concerts, and his interest hasn’t changed. He still adores music, and he does still live and breathe music, it’s just more complicated now. He can’t pursue music anymore. 

As the group told Lance good luck, they turned and waved their goodbyes and then headed to their seats. 

*

“Kiiiimmmmm come on! I want to see the music!” Keith exclaimed as he dragged Kim along with him. “Dan, don’t worry we’ll see them soon!” She giggled. 

They sat down in their seats, their feet not coming anywhere close to the ground. The two sat in their seats contently, looking around the luxurious theatre in awe. “Wow, this place is so pretty!” Kim exclaimed, a look of pure bliss prominent in her golden eyes. 

Keith looked at her and smiled. “One day I’ll be up there playing music!” He said wistfully. She took his hand and intertwined their fingers. “And I’ll be there cheering you on.” 

*

As he sat down next to him, he noticed that Ky had already fallen asleep. Music wasn’t his strongest suit, and maybe it was for the best. The boy spread himself incredibly thin already, being active in both theatre classes and soccer games. He was a loyal friend though, so it made sense why he tagged along. He probably wasn’t getting much sleep anyways, considering his late night trainings for the upcoming soccer season, and the pressure of this one being one of his last seasons ever. 

The nostalgia strikes when looking back at Kim. The childhood bliss was still evident in her eyes and he smile hasn’t faltered since the first time they were sat here. 

Keith did genuinely miss the theater, but he refused to play anymore. Music brought him more pain than happiness, and it reminds of him of his parents and what could of been instead of what could be. His parents were good people, and he loved Shiro a lot, but music was the only thing he had going for him in the early stages of his life and it had permanently been etched into his brain after they passed away. 

As the applause from the rest of the audience began, Keith tried to rip his thoughts away from where they were heading and listen to the performances. 

The first girl that was walking on stage was evidently nervous; her posture gave it away. She wearily smiled at the audience before sitting in front of the piano, making sure to sit up as straight as an arrow. She hesitantly played the first note and Keith could already identify it as Fur Elise, a basic choice but still beautiful to listen to. She played pretty well, but at some point was a little off tempo but not many people would notice that. Kim next to me was rolling her eyes at Keith’s accusations and had her eyes glued on the stage, whether she was paying attention or not. Keith nudged her in the rib carefully and widened his eyes, sending the message to her to stop. 

The performances came and went, none of them specifically standing out or catching his eye. When he came on stage though, the world seemed at a peaceful pause. His smile outshined the shitty theatre lights that were washing out his soft brown skin and he confidently strode to enter stage. 

He smirked before the accompanist began, and as soon as the first notes were played, Keith recognized the song as Violin Sonata No.8 by Ludwig Van Beethoven. 

The melody escaping his violin was slow and peaceful at first, but Keith was a switch go off in his head and he began to play faster and faster. He added on notes that strayed from the original piece, but added unknown harmonies to his song. The accompanist couldn’t keep up, but nobody noticed because Lance was the shining star of this theater. All eyes were on him, the music exerting from him was something so solely unique that nobody had ever heard it before. Most of the judges didn’t look too pleased, but Keith had a gut feeling that Lance wasn’t paying any attention to the judges and just wanted a time to play his violin with an audience. 

Usually about halfway through a performance the audience would collectively get bored with the performer, but with Lance everyone in the crowd was wide-eyes and on the edge of their seats cheering him on. His playing wasn’t like anything he had ever heard before and it fits his beautiful personality.

Keith swore to himself that he had never seen a star shine so brightly before. 

*

As the final notes of the song projected through the theater, everyone in the audience stood up and began applauding him. His accompanist was panting and attempting to catch his breath, but he looked fine otherwise. Lance wasn’t even a tony bit sweaty, which is almost like he was put on this Earth for the sole purpose of making extraordinary music that nobody had ever heard before. 

Lance was the last performer, so Kim, Ky, and Keith stood up from their uncomfortable seats and made their way towards the exit. As he saw his brown hair in the crowd, his heart almost stopped. He was a shining star, no doubt about it. The glowing aura around him brings people in and people were finally noticing that he was a star performer. He was surrounded by tons of people asking for his signature on their programs and he was happily smiling along and giggling with the crowd. 

Everything he does he accomplishes with so much joy. His smile is always going to be the brightest in the room, and it for sure is making people turn their heads.


	3. The Happy Little Piano

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after lance’s concert the group heads over to a cute little cafe that just so happens to have a cute little piano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! so sorry about not updating for like two days fjehehs i’ve been surprisingly busy and i’m trying my best to update as much as possible but this update RLY took the energy out of me lol 
> 
> ANYWAYS i felt like i needed to clarify that this won’t have the same plot as your lie in april, though it will be obviously inspired and similar, the conflict with kaori and kousei in the anime will be a lot different than my story (as you’ll see w the flashback) anyways thank you for reading uwu

As the group head out of the amphitheater, Keith was met with an empty bike rack. He saw Kim’s shadow come up behind him and she put a hand on his shaky shoulder. “Damn, I can’t believe somebody stole our bikes.” Kim sighed, patting my shoulder once again before turning back to Ky and Lance. “Well maybe you should of thought about keeping a lock on them,” Ky emphasized. Kim closed her eyes and shook her head stubbornly. “No, it’s okay. I can get a new bike soon, that one was almost broken anyway.” “Comforting.” Keith mumbled, nobody hearing him as usual. 

“Kim, this is what happened last time, you sure you don’t just want to get a lock next time?” Kyle asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, his dark brown eyes glowing with worry. “It’s okay K, we’ll get better bikes soon.” He nodded understandingly, carding his fingers through his hair nervously. Ky and Keith knew that Kim loved that bike more than she loved most people, and seeing her act so calm losing it made all of us worry, even Lance. Keith turned to her with a pitying smile. “It’ll be okay Kim,” he whispered in her ear. She looked up at him and gave the tiniest shadow of a smile, and he felt a smile echo onto his own face. It’s progress, he agreed with himself. He spun back around, ready to retreat to wherever they were heading, and in his peripheral vision he saw the blue eyes that contained the stars glowing and a smile he couldn’t ever forgive himself if he forgot. 

Lance hadn’t said much of anything since his performance. The group all congratulated him on getting the audience’s choice prize, but he insisted we leave before the actual awards. “I think the most important thing about music is to enjoy performing it, not for the sole purpose of winning.” Though when he heard Kim’s bike had been stolen, he smiled at her. “It’s okay Kimmy, I know a bakery that’s right around the corner we could walk to in the meantime!” 

***

Kim lifted her head, trying her best to hide the disappointment and sighed. “that.. actually sounds really good.” she said, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. Kim put her hands down to her side and turned to Lance, gesturing for him to lad the way. Keith wasn’t usually one to initiate conversation or speak up while in a group of people, but he couldn’t stop himself from reassuring her. “Kim, it’s okay. We can go to the bakery Lance told us about, and get something to at. Walking isn’t that bad anyway, during this time of year the Sakura trees are at their peak.” He said, patting her comfortably on her shoulder. She began to laugh in response. “Akira Kogane, always knowing how to get the joy out of the smallest things in life, this is why we keep you around.” She teased, jokingly. He rolled his eyes and gave her a half smile as the group made their way down the sidewalk. 

Though Keith is fully aware that Kim was joking, he couldn’t help but feel that there was some kind of truth behind her words. He considers himself more of the ‘friend B’ type; the third friend that trails behind the two others walking on the sidewalk, the third wheel, the forgotten one. He’s kind of brushed off to the side and mostly ignored, but he didn’t think it mattered too much anyway. Kim tries her best to incorporate him in conversations, and Ky always invites him out to do some sort of activity, but he usually declines; assuming that they only invited him out of pity. Kim has been glued to Ky’s side for six years longer than he had known Keith, so when he first met her at age six he knew that they had a stronger bond together than he would ever have with either of them so he didn’t make an effort. They grew up together, and he wasn’t ever bothered by the fact that he was always put as the president during their secret agent games they played as kids. 

The pink blossoms of the Sakura trees swayed peacefully, successfully bringing Keith out of that thinking trap he was caught in. He found himself always drawing back from getting to know the others, and he could really see it at this point. For the rest of the walk through their cute town, he watched as his friends were all laughing together harmoniously. Lance seemed to fit in with his friends better than he did, and although it was the three of them together, he threw away the inevitable third wheel awkwardness. His eyes constantly sparkled with joy and contentment every time he laughed along with Ky or rolled his eyes at Kim’s lame puns and he made Keith notice how closed off he really was with his friends. 

Kim, Ky, and Lance were all walking alongside each other with Keith trailing awkwardly behind them when they reached the café. The café was painted a pastel pink color with blue lettering on the sign and a neatly potted plant on the right side of the translucent glass door. The sidewalk in Nerima was one of Keith’s favorite things about the town. No matter what time of head, there were always beautiful plants thriving near the smooth concrete pathways, but in April the sidewalks were littered with pastel pink Cherry Blossoms. The pretty trees filled the air with a sweet smell, and made Keith wish it was possible to photograph a scent. The soft murmurs coming from Kim and the bright laughter and banter coming from Ky and Lance was almost too perfect, too Disney to be Keith’s life. 

Lance was the first one to make his way through the door, the bell chiming as he opened it and Keith felt himself following immediately afterward. Being in his presence made Keith want to stay by him more often, his smiles and joyful aura was infectious; he could feel himself fighting back a grin when he was pointing out all the cool knick knacks the shop had displayed on the inside.

“Wow! Look! It’s a original Spirited Away poster with the concept art for Chihiro and No Face!” Lance pointed out, the poster had displayed a small girl with messy bangs and light brown hair with a black pillow-shaped creature wearing a mask and Keith suddenly wanted to watch this movie. The inside of the café was a disgustingly cute as the outside portrayed. There were several tables and chairs scattered around the small interior, and a glass case filled with more miscellaneous Studio Ghibli figures and posters and a grand piano sat disturbingly against the other wall. Keith noticed it as soon as he walked into the otherwise peaceful cafe, and he noticed that Lance saw it too. “Oh what a happy little piano! It’s grinning from ear to ear,” he remarked, now turning fully towards the counter of sweets. Lance’s eyes lit up with childhood excitement when he got a closer look at the glass case containing all the pastries. An onlooker could physically see the cogs working inside his head because of how hard he was thinking about what he should get, while Kim and Keith both quickly decided they wanted chocolate chip banana bread. Ky just ordered a simple blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee, and turned to the cashier with a charming smile. 

After getting their snacks, Keith and Kim went to go sit down. Ironically, Kim chose the seat closest to the piano, and Keith knew she wasn’t being slick at all. She has been nagging him for months to play again, but he knew in his heart that he physically couldn’t anymore. The group all quietly munched on their food and enjoyed the tranquil atmosphere of the cafe and occasionally gazed out the window to watch the people in the park across the street. Keith’s thoughts were interrupted when Kim asked us all if we liked our pastries, and Keith couldn’t be annoyed when Lance’s soft voice could be heard. 

“As much as I’d love to talk about my cake, I think we should play something,” he said, gesturing to the piano. Keith looked away when he said the name of the instrument. 

He never used to be so opposed to playing, and in fact he loved playing so much that there was a point where that is all that he did. During competitions one year, he got the nickname of the “human metronome” since his playing was so perfect due to over practicing. His parents always encouraged him to play, and his mother was the one who had him practice a lot more than needed, but he figured it was because of how she used to be so skilled. She began to give up on her own talent when she got sick, so she passed it along to her only son, which was Keith. During his childhood, Keith loved to watch his mother play and when his father was still alive, watch him sing along to whatever song she was playing. The two used to compete in competitions together, usually duetting a song on piano and they were always an audience favorite. It brought Keith a lot of pain to play the piano now, reminded of his deceased parents, so he felt like he physically couldn’t play anymore. 

With one look in Lance’s eyes though, and Keith agreed to play with him. Everyone at the table was looking at him wildly, thinking about how he’d so obviously decline, and when he dared to look at Kim, she looked more confused than anyone else. 

With his hesitant agreement, they made their way over to the piano, with Lance holding keith’s wrist tightly like he was going to dip any second. 

Keith knew that he could still play considering he still had the habit of reading sheet music in his spare time, but he knew there was something holding him back as well. 

He trudged over to the piano with wobbly knees and sat gently down next to Lance. He was smiling at him, his eyes sparkling like the sea, and for a moment Keith thought there wasn’t any problem anymore. 

A little girl appeared on Lance’s side, and she rested her head on her hands watching the two of them. “Mister, can you play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?” she asked politely. Keith smiled softly and nodded in response and the girl with the messy braided pigtails and bright red overall dress was almost vibrating in excitement. 

Keith gently pressed his thumb against the C key. 

He hesitated in shock because it felt so wrong to play again, but he pushed on. 

He pressed his thumb to the C key again before pressing his ring finger to the G key slowly. 

Lance, sitting next to him, was practically radiating with pride, and he could tell that all Lance wanted was for him to play again. He proceeded. G, A, A, G. He paused, moving his bangs out of his eyes and turning to nod back to Kim and Ky. She gave a supportive thumbs up and he wiped a faux tear before Keith turned back around. He finally gained a little bit more confidence and played the notes smoother. F, E, E, D, D, C. He was surprised that he could still hear all the notes, because sometimes his mental block was so bad that he physically couldn’t hear his playing anymore. G, G, F, F, E, E, D, D, C. 

Lance beside him was copping what he was doing in a lower key, and the notes harmonized perfectly. He started singling brightly, holding back laughter. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star,” he began, now looking fully at Keith with passion in his eyes. His happiness was infectious and Keith couldn’t be stubborn about this. 

The little girls next to them were still happily watching and Lance got up after the first round and one of the girls sat down, obviously excited. “Mr. Kogane, could I play with you?” She asked politely, her eyes glowing. He smiled slightly. “You can call me Keith, and yeah, of course.”

She chuckled before turning to me. “Ready?” she asked, getting her hands set on the first few keys. Her and Keith played, her on the lower key and him in the higher and after the first chorus he played the obscure version his mom taught him when he was thirteen. 

Halfway through playing, he paused. He felt like he was underwater and he couldn’t hear the notes anymore. They sounded muted and offkey and he quickly jerked his hands back from the piano liek it had burned him and he took a few seconds to gain composure before standing up quickly. 

“Mr. Kogane, why’s you stop playing? It was so pretty!” The girl questioned. He couldn’t bear to reply. He got up stumbling before hastily wiping his eyes before waking right past Kim. “‘Kira wait!” She called, running after him. He just kept on waking and looking forward but he paused halfway down the street because he realized he came with them as a group. 

Kim tried to pry answers out of him on what happened, but he couldn’t describe it. He was more frustrated than anything, because he wanted to hear the piano, he wanted to hear there happy notes playing but he couldn’t and it killed him inside. The notes just faded away from him, and it sounded like he was trapped in a bubble at the bottom of the sea. He had perfect hearing except for with the piano and he figured it was more a mental block than anything else, but it didn’t piss him off any less. 

He didn’t notice Lance behind him, but he felt a quick tap on his shoulder and soon he was infilled in Lance’s arms. He tried to comfort him with his best effort but there was no use. This boy barely knew him, he had just met him in the park when he accused him of being s stalker and even through his show at him, but now he was all compassion and soft and comforting. He tried to shrug off his touch and face the other way because of his reddening cheeks, but he felt like that was inconsiderate so he smiled softly at the blue eyed boy instead. Maybe he needed the comfort as much as he did.

Everything you do, everything you say, generates brightness. I envy you for how happy you are and could see beautiful in everything, but what did you see in me?


	4. gradient skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the gradient skies contrast with the monotone colors of the piano keys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! sorry this fic is lowkey neglected lol! i’ve been ridiculously busy lately and i’m just now finding a time to write so i hope this will suffice for now! anyways hopefully i can update soon and i hope you guys enjoy the chapter :^)

After what happened in the Cafè, they all happily left like nothing happened. That’s usually what they did though, meaning Keith, Kim, and Ky. The three of them always shoved their problems under a carpet and none of them noticed unless they tripped. 

On the way back to the park where they first met up, Ky and Lance were walking ridiculously close together. Kim and Keith shared equal looks of confusion, obviously not understanding what was going on but then it clicked. Lance liked Ky. That fact should of hurt Keith way less than it did, but it felt like a stake to the heart for him. Though he had only known Lance for a couple hours, everything he learned about him blew his mind and he knew as he got to know him more he continue to blow his mind. 

Ky was a good guy though, Keith couldn’t blame Lance for liking him. He was athletic and gorgeous, and almost everything that Keith was not, so he didn’t blame him. 

As they all parted ways, Kim and Keith walked home together. They were next door neighbors; Kim’s parents became great friends with Keith’s and they hit it off great, making their children good friends too. Keith was forever grateful to have Kim as a friend, though he wished things were a little different. He wished he wasn’t as closed off or distant but it felt too late to change that so he continued on. 

Keith glanced over to where Ky and Lance were standing, and he saw Ky lean over quickly and peck Lance on the cheek before watching his face redden. Ky smiled dorkily, his nose scrunching up and his eyes warm. “I’ll see you soon Lance,” he called before walking the other way. 

***

“So, what’d you think of Lance?” Kim asked, scuffing her shoe against the loose rocks on the pavement. “It’s cool he’s a classical musician,” Keith said, avoiding the question. “Yeah, he told me beforehand that he liked Ky and wanted to meet him so I invited him to hang out with us! Kyle wanted me to tag along but I didn’t want to be a third wheel so that’s why I convinced you to come as well, so if they hit it off we could be third wheels together!” Kim said happily. Keith normally felt like a third wheel so he was glad to be there to comfort Kim, but he felt a little trapped. He knew that if Lance and Ky hit it off he’d be dragged to hang out with them because of his correlation to Kim and he couldn’t stand being near Lance knowing he was capturing someone else’s heart that wasn’t Keith’s. 

The dimming colors in the sky cascaded from sky blue to red oranges and tons of hues in between, resembling a painting. The stars were beginning to shine above them, and Kim took notice. “Do you like anyone at the moment?” She asked suddenly, with that spark evident in her eyes. “Nope, not really.” He said bitterly, now refusing to look up at all. 

“My friend told me that when you’re in love the world seems to take on more color, it’s like an added spark to the universe, and I think I’d have to agree with her.” Kim said wistfully, now looking up, gazing at the twinkling stars above them. “ I don’t think be able to inspire that kind of change in someone,” Keith sighed, now looking at Kim. “Why do you always do that?” Kim asked seriously, sadness evident in her gold eyes. “Do what?” Keith retorts bitterly. “Dude what the hell? You’r seventeen and you have literally zero sparkle in your eyes.” “My eyes are kind of dark..” Keith confusedly added on. “Don’t throw logic at me Kogane! It’s your second to last year of high school, live a little! Seventeen year olds are supposed to be obliviously stupid and not have a care in the world before they’re thrown into the real world. You have a whole left of your childhood, why are you moving around? Don’t take this the wrong way Keith, but you used to be so much cooler. What happened?” Kim ranted, tears beginning to form in her eyes. 

“We both know what happened.” Keith said bluntly, stopping walking for a second. “I’m just worried about you ‘Kira.” Kim said, her voice sympathetic. She pulled him in for a hug and he stiffened slightly, but melted at the touch of his best friend. “You need to pull yourself out of this hole,” Kim added, holding onto Keith tighter. “You deserve to enjoy yourself for once Akira.” 

***

Keith was greeted with a ridiculously empty house when he got home, and he was pleased with it. Kim always worried for him when he was home alone, since he was home alone so much, but Keith just enjoyed it. He loved Shiro, but he looked so much like his dad it hurt him a lot. 

He turned down the narrow hallway and into the kitchen, looking to see if there was anything he could munch on. Finding nothing, he retreated back to his room but while he was walking the study called his attention. The dusty piano that sat in his mother’s old study was still evidently there, as much as Keith wanted it to not be. There were tons of binders and boxes stacked on top of the instrument, and Keith took one look at it and forced himself to turn the other way. “Not today,” he thought. 

He laid down in his bed and stared at the ceiling, just taking in the noise from the bustling world outside his window. He never closed his window, claiming that the noises from outside calmed him down, but really he just felt a little less lonely knowing there were other people there. 

Keith thought about what Kim had said; she had been right this whole time. He knew that he needed to change, but he didn’t know how to. How could he be seventeen years old and have no idea how to be genuinely happy? He wanted adventure, or just something, but he wasn’t providing anything for himself by locking himself in his room after school listening to classical music. He knew he needed change, he just didn’t know how. 

***

Keith found himself in the music room during lunch, knowing this wasn’t a good idea. He kept himself busy by transcribing music by ear, but he knew that Kim would scold him if she knew what he was currently doing. And in a way, she did. A softball crashed through the newly fixed window, hitting Keith right in the head. He fell over dramatically, his glasses knocking right off his face. Kim dashed in quickly, surveying the room before her eyes landing on Keith. “‘Oh thank God it’s only you ‘Kira, I thought I was in trouble for a second!” She laughed, placing her bat on her shoulder. “Nope, only me,” Keith said miserably, clutching the side of his head that was pulsing rapidly. Ky came into the room next, holding a soccer ball to his hip while he watched the exchange between his two friends. 

The three of them ended up in detention that day. “I don’t know why I got detention too!” Keith asked. “If anything I’m the victim here.” He added, clearly aggravated. “This is homophobia at it’s finest!” Ky exclaimed, clearly unhappy as well. Keith pulled out the notes he was writing during detention and unfolded them. “Why did you write two notes?” Ky asked, confused. “I always write an apology letter whatever this happens. One from me, one from Kim. That’s how it always worked I guess. She’s like a high maintenance older sister,” Keith described, shoving his gym shoes in his small locker. “Kim’s always been a troublemaker hasn’t she?” Ky smiled, knowing the answer though asking a question. “Yeah, she is.” 

***

The trio of friends made their way home. The sun hasn’t quite set yet so there was a glowing orange hue radiating from the sky, making everything seeming golden and made Kim’s eyes more stunning than usual. “Do you guys want to stop by the supermarket?” Kim asked cheerfully, facing the two boys. They both agreed, and made their way to the place they have visited together for ears. The little beat up supermarket at the corner of 19th and Sakura Lane was one of Keith’s favorite places to visit. The store itself wasn’t much, it appeared like any other convenience store, but it felt like so much more for the trio. They all picked up their snacks happily before paying and took the liberty to go sit by their favorite bridge. 

Kim sat down suddenly next to the two boys. “Keith never would dangle his legs from this bridge when we were little,” Kim reminisced. “He always thought that his center of gravity would change and he would fall, but even if we did fall the water below is deep so we wouldn’t be injured.” she added, mostly just talking to herself. “It isn’t that high though,” Ky added, looking at his friend feeling the nostalgia of being with her. “Yeah I know but perspective changes when you’re seventeen versus six,” Kim smiled. The three watched the sun dip into the sparkling body of water, all of them with content grins on their faces. Keith even felt himself relax, which was something he hadn’t fully done in a long time.

The walk home with Kim was almost a complete déjà vu from the other day. She was awkwardly trudging along the most gravel of the sidewalk and he was gazing off into the distance, listening for passing trains. “Before I accidentally hit you with my softball, what were you doing?” Kim always tried to initiate conversation with Keith, figuring he was always content with silence. “Transcribing music, you know that.” She nodded, as if he was confirming what she was thinking. “Yeah, I know, but why the piano?” “I usually do it by ear but I use the piano to check if I’m right.” He explained, fiddling with the ungloved part of his fingers. “I’ve seen you do it by just listening to your music, Keith, don’t take this the wrong way but I think you’re holding onto the piano.” Keith stopped in his path and faced her. “Yeah, I know I do. It’s the last thing I have left of my parents so it’s hard to let go.” he said, his expressing falling with every word. “It’s okay to feel, Keith.” she reassured, patting him on the back carefully. “I’m fine Kim, don’t worry.” “No you’re not, Keith.”

“I know.” 

***

He tried desperately to think of what his life would be like if he just let go of all his past traumas and piano completely. 

His life presented itself in monotone, just like the black and white of piano keys. He thinks back to when Kim was describing what it felt like to be in love, and the familiar gleam in her eyes was evident and she seemed happy. Keith was quite the opposite. Nowadays he spent his gloomy days moping, hoping for them to fix itself, and he blamed the piano for all of it. 

“My whole world revolves around the black and white keys, I can’t imagine life without it, even if it causes me pain,” he thought after he got home and plopped himself down on his messily made bed. 

“And if you take away piano I have nothing left, just the echo of a misplayed key.”


End file.
